Hernial truss



July 25, 1944. VG. AJD UKOWCH 2,354,

- HERNIAL TRUSS Filed. D ec. 1, .1 941 INVENTOR:

GEORGE Amway/CH.

' x15; ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 25, 1944 1 4 UNITED STATES: Georgefifu:::i:h?:: Mo.

Application December 1, 1941,'Serial No. 421,133 j 1 Claim. (01. 128- 95) This invention pertains to a truss suchas is used for'the treatment of hernia or rupture.

One of the objects'of this invention is to pro-' vide an improved pad structure for such a'truss which will tend to keep the pad in place in its original adjustment to the body of the wearer.

Another object is to provide such a device which is so formed as to apply a retaining pressure which is directed as nearly as possible in opposition to the direction in which the hernia under treatment tends to move out.

Another object is to provide a pad structure for such a device which will apply such retaining pressure not only in a direction substantially opposite to the tendency of the hernia to emerge but which will distribute such pressure uniformly over an area of considerable vertical extent.

Another object is to provide a pad structure which may readily be made out of molded ma- I terial.

Another object is to provide a structure for a truss of this kind which will be cheap to manufacture and rugged and durable in service.

Further objects will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a truss embodying this invention, showing the inner faces of the pads.

Figure 2 is a perspective outer view of the pad element and the attached portions of the belt.

Figure 3 is an outside view of a part of Figure 1, showing the belt fastening.

Referring now to the drawing, the complete truss comprises a belt I, which is preferably elastic, and a pad element indicated generally at 2. The element 2 may be formed of any suitable rigid or semi-rigid material, It may be formed out of sheet metal by bending to shape or forming under pressure in a die. It may be made of moldable plastic such as Bakelite or of other suitable material which may be formed easily to the required shape.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the element 2 is formed so as to provide a pair of pads 3 and 4 whose pressure-applying faces, as seen in Figure 1, are convex in horizontal section. That is, they extend further toward the body of the wearer at their middle points than at their lateral edges. These convex surfaces are preferably relatively shallow, that is they have a relatively large radius of curvature and their curvature is preferably uniform, that is circular, for the major portion of the lateral span.

The pads 3 and 4 are formed so that their pressure-applying faces are substantially straight when considered in'vertical section. Their top edges are preferably at about the height of the upper edge of the belt I. -Their lower edges however are preferably formed to extend downwardly below the loweredg'e, of the belt, as indicated-in the drawing. This downward extension in each case is formed preferably by a downward curve of more or less uniform curvature. The upper and lower edges of the pads 3 and 4 may be rounded off on their inner faces so as to avoid sharp edges in engagement withthe body.

The pads 3 and 4 are spaced from one another laterally and are joined by an intermediate bridge section 5' extending between these two pads but in recessive relation to the inner pressure-applying faces of said pads, so as to form a sort of valley or channel between the pads.

In order to provide for attaching the belt I, suitable attaching means, such as hooks 6 or other suitable devices, may be formed on the bridge section 5 and on end wings I at the outer edges of the pads 3 and 4. The belt I may then be attached by slipping its edges under the hooks 6. The belt may be provided with any suitable form of fastening device hereinafter termed generally a belt buckle for securing its ends together after it has been passed about the wearers body. As shown in the drawing, the end of the belt may be provided with a terminal plate 8 of leather or other suitable material, provided with a series of pairs of eyelets 9 adapted to receive hooks I0 mounted'on the other end of the belt. The belt is preferably so attached to the pad element that these over-lapping ends containing the belt buckle are positioned opposite a concave face on the outside of the pad element. In this Way, any projecting elements which may form part of the buckle are located outside of the pad element, and the rest of the belt where it engages the Wearers body is free of all protuberances which may cause chafing or discomfort.

It will be seen that this invention provides a truss which, when applied to the wearer is adapted to exert an inward pressure over an extended area. The form of the pressure surface is such that when considered in horizontal section it applies its pressure radially with respect to the center of curvature of the pressure-applying face of the pad. Accordingly, when the pad is applied so that the hernia is included within the area covered thereby, since the tendency for the hernia to emerge is usually in a radial direction with reference to the body surface, the retaining force applied by the pad. being also radial, will be directed substantially direct opposition to this tendency to emerge. Accordingly, these forces are practically balanced, and any tendency to side slippage is reduced to a minimum.

It will be noted also that since the pressureapplying face of the pad is substantially straight in vertical section the retaining force applied thereby will be extended vertically in a uniform manner. Accordingly, the pressure is applied by the pad over a substantial area... which may be adjusted to include the hernia, and within that area the retaining force is distributed radially in horizontal planes and in parallel directions in ver-. tical planes. It has been found that this provides a retaining pad which has little or no tendency to slip in any direction.

It will be noted also that by arranging a pair of pads with the bridge sectioni therebetween and in recessive relation thereto, two pressure areas are provided with a relieved area therebetween. This relieved area therefore forms a ridge between the depressed areas of thebody, and this ridge comes in the middle of the body. Accordingly, a sort of interlock is formed which acts further to prevent side slippage of the pad element. It has been found that with this arrangement the pad element once adjusted to the desired location and position and secured by the belt will retain its adjustment despite free movement of the body of the body of the wearer and offers no interference whatever to such free movement.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the details of construction within the scope of the appended claims Without departing from the spirit of this invention and that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A truss of the character described, comprising, a thin plate formed to provide a unitary pad element having a pair of pressure pads whose inner faces are formed convex in horizontal section and substantially straight in vertical section and whose outer faces are correspondingly concave, said pads being separated by an intermediate bridge section positioned in recessive relation to said inner faces, belt-receiving elements on said bridge section and on the outer edge portions of said pads, and .a belt engageable in said beltreceiving elements and having a belt buckle positionable on the outside of said pad element.

GEORGE AJDUKOVICH. 

